Disposable plastic nursing bottle



Dec. 3, 1963 z. MANOYIAN 3,112,837

DISPOSABLE PLASTIC NURSING BOTTLE Filed Oct. 10, 1961 INVENTOR 251 497 m/voy/Am;

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofilice 7 3,112,837 Patented Dec. 3, 1963 3,112,837 DISPGSABLE PLASTIC NURSING BOTTLE Zevart Manoyian, 725 Ops-locket Blvd, Opa-locka, Fla. Filed Oct. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 144,229 1 Claim. (Cl. 215-11) This invention relates to a nursing bottle, and more particularly to a disposable plastic nursing bottle which is economical in structure and which provides both structural and psychlogical advantages over nursing bottles currently in use.

It has been the position of many authorities that natures way of providing nourishment for babies by breast feeding is the best way. When a mother breast feeds her baby, it gives the baby a feeling of closeness and ecurity which is thought to provide a psychological stimulus in developing an emotional stability in the child. The intangible benefits to be gained by both the mother and the child have long been the subject of speculation, and it is doubtful that all authorities will ever be in complete agreement on this subject. However, as one authority has stated, on general principle its safer to do things the natural way unless you are absolutely sure you have a better way.

Some mothers are unable to nurse their babies; in addition there are certain features of breast feeding which may be considered as disadvantageous. When a baby is breast fed, the mother is tied down in the sense that she must always be available when it is time to feed the baby. Also, in order to supply the added demands of nursing, it is necessary for the mother to eat more during the period of nursing, and this often results in overeating and the mother becoming fat. It is also argued that nursing a number of children can change the shape of the breasts. While these reasons may not all be founded on fact, they are advanced by many mothers who do not wish to breast feed their children.

Present day methods of sanitary handling and food packaging have produced a widespread acceptance of bottle feeding babies with a formula preparation. The danger of contamination and infection from the use of bottles and formula is almost negligible, when the operation is carried out properly. The use of bottles, and the mixing of the formulas is relatively easy and can be practiced by almost everyone. Since a number of bottles of formula can be prepared in advance and kept by refrigeration, the mother is not obliged to be present at all feedings of the infant, and the baby is assured of receiving the correct amount of food with the proper nutrient value.

In spite of the advantages of bottle feeding many people have found that the time and effort involved in sterilizing the bottles and mixing the formula is a nuisance which interferes with a busy life and removes the enchantment from baby feeding. Also, it is necessary to have a source of refrigeration, since the formula must be kept under lowered temperatures after preparation.

I111 recent years, there has been a trend toward the establishment of commercial baby bottle services in which the sterilized milk or formula is delivered regularly to the home. This is a system which results in a substantial expense for the convenience afforded.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a nursing bottle which incorporates many of the advantages of both breast feeding and bottle feeding, while retaining the disadvantages of neither.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nursing bottle whose shape and manual response closely resembles that of the female breast.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nursing bottle which occupies little space, is convenient and economical in use, and which may be discarded after the contents have been exhausted.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a disposable nursing bottle which is completely sterile and which contains a measured amount of powdered formula ready for instant use.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a nursing bottle constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view taken through the vertical axis of the bottle;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the bottle with the nipplecap member removed; and

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the nipple-cap member taken along its vertical axis.

The nunsing bottle of the present invention comprises a body portion indicated generally by the numeral 1 and a combination nipple-cap member indicated by the numeral 2. The body member 1 has thin flexible walls which may be made of rubber or any of the well known plastic materials presently available. Located approximately midway of the height of the body member 1 is a circumferential protuberance 3 in the shape of a corrugation or molded rib formed in the wall of body 1. This outstanding rib serves to reinforce the wall and provide a ready grip upon the bottle by an infant. The base of body 1 includes a concave portion 4- which contributes additional structural strength so that the container will hold its shape readily either in the filled or unfilled condition, but will tend to distort or collapse slightly so that the liquid may be withdrawn more easily.

The body portion 1 has a thickened outwardly protruding mouth 11 which is cut away to form an exteriorly threaded portion having a seat 12 at the base thereof. The outer surface of this mouth is reversely curved as shown at 13. The outer surface of the base portion 14 of the nipple-cap member 2 coincides with the reverselycurved surface 13 to form a smooth junction as shown at 15.

The combination nipple-cap member 2 has a plurality of openings 5 in the rounded end portion to permit the contents of the interior to be withdrawn by the sucking action of the infant. Grooves 6 and 7 in the nipple-cap member 2 and grooves 3 and 9 in the neck of body memher 1 are provided to permit air to enter the bottle as the liquid is withdrawn.

The entire structure is assembled under sterile conditions and the interior portion 10 of the body 1 may contain a nursing formula powder so that the user need only add water to the con-tents. It will be appreciated by those who have prepared baby formulas for use at home, and particularly by those who have made extended trips with infants, that the structure described answers a long standing need. It will also be noted that the shape of the bottle generally resembles that of the female breast, and this fact, coupled with soft resilient texture of the containers walls, presents an emotional appeal to the infant users which is not present in conventional nursing bottles.

From the above description it will be seen that the disposable nursing bottle of the present invention provides a rounded oval structure of resilient material suggestive of the female breast. The corrugation or molded rib portion together with the concave bottom portion, provides structural strength while allowing the bottle to be grasped readily by the infant. The combination nipple-cap member eliminates the need of separate assembled members such as are employed conventionally. Since the entire structure may be molded from inexpensive plastic materials the device is economical as well as convenient.

While the invention has been shown and described with particular reference to a preferred embodiment it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A disposable nursing bottle for dispensing pre-packaged infant meals comprising a unitary resilient plastic container with an upper portion having a shape and manual response closely resembling that of the female breast, an outstanding rib located midway of the height of said container to provide structural stability and a ready grip upon the bottle by an infant, a closed concave bottle on said plastic container providing structural stability to the lower portion of said container and enabling the container to retain its shape, the top having a thickened outwardly protruding portion cut away to form an exteriorly threaded mouth having a seat at the base thereof, the outer surface of said thickened portion being reversely curved, and an interiorly threaded nipple-cap member engaging said threaded month, said nipple-cap member having a base portion with transverse grooves on the bottom and substantially abutting the seat on the mouth, the outer surface of said base portion of the nipple-cap member coinciding with the reverse curve of the thickened portion to form a smooth junction, whereby :said container can receive a measured quantity of nursing formula powder to form a pre-packaged infant meal which requires only the addition of water.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 735,707 Cantwell Aug. 11, 1903 2,446,45'1 Allen Aug. 3, 1948 2,699,169 Perreault Jan. 11, 1955 2,892,559 Raiche June 30, 1959 2,990,079 Garvey June 27, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,218,726 France Dec. 21, 1959 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 112,837 December 8, 1963 Zevart Manoyian It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read.as

corrected below.

Column 3, line 16, for "bottle", second occurrence, read bottom Signed and sealed this 28th day of April 1964.

(SEAL) Attcst:

ERNEST W, SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

